Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.0 SUPER Petrol – Driven!

Alfa Romeos conjure up some of the finest motoring images possible, whether it is cruising down a road on the coast or racing round a track, the Italian car maker is synonymous with driving for petrolheads. Certainly the brand isn’t afraid to shout about it’s credentials, using such marketing slogans as ‘Engineered To Thrill’ ‘Built For Best Performance”, and judging by some of the Alfa Romeo’s we have tested this year including the new Stelvio Quadrifoglio we are inclined to agree.

So naturally when I had the chance to jump behind the wheel of another Alfa (thanks to our friends at FCA) I didn’t need to be asked twice. The car this time was the 4 door sports saloon known as the Giulia, now when I mentioned to a couple of colleagues we had a Giulia coming their first response was “the Quadrifoglio?” when I informed them it wasn’t, it’s fair to say they were a little bit disheartened, which is a tad unfair on the Giulia. For all it’s headline grabbing, the Quadrifoglio seem’s to over shadow the other models in the range which is a shame because look beyond the QF and the Giulia range is pretty impressive.

The model we got was the 2.0 SUPER Petrol, yes diesel is a naughty word and as such car makers are gradually dropping them in favour of various petrol offerings for which we are told is better for the environment, and certainly you need to clock up the mileage to really justify having a diesel these days. This 2.0 Petrol model produces 200hp meaning it will shift from 0-62mph in around 6.6 seconds before running out of steam at 146mph but assuming you don’t drive like a lunatic it will also average a very respectable 47mpg.

Our test car came in Lipari Grey (looking more like a kind of dark blue) with Beige Leather complete with Walnut dash as part of the Lusso pack meaning extra creature comforts; such as heated front seats, heated steering wheel, leather dashboard, door panels & armrest as well as sports leather upholstery amongst others on the list (see below). In fact the Giulia seemed more executive than sports saloon, and although the Beige leather and Walnut wood wouldn’t be my choice it certainly gave it an upmarket feel.

The looks

As any designer will tell you, looks are important, certainly in the world of cars. You can have all the clever tech you want with your car going from here to the moon and back without refueling but if it’s as ugly as the wart on your grans face then you’re not going to sell very many. This is even more true for Alfa Romeo, and the Giulia is very good looking, from the trade mark grille down to the muscular sides it is a very stylish and in some ways discrete design, a bit like the guy who works out at the gym but doesn’t go round wearing tight tops, there simply is no need, subtle styling is the key. It may be a four door saloon but it could be a two door without much cosmetic surgery being needed such is the overall style of the Giulia. Few saloon cars make you take a second glance as you walk away but so often I found myself doing just that, despite the verdict being out on the exterior colour, the stylish 18″ optional alloys ensured the Giulia had a purposeful stance to back up those good looks.

On the Inside

Comfortable, yes. Practical, yes. Enough said? Not quite. Ok so I have mentioned the colour of the interior on our test car wasn’t to my liking, in fact Beige just doesn’t cut it at all, having the car during a wet November brought that home very quickly as it soon started to look mucky with wet dirty feet climbing in and out, those carpets and mats would need regular cleaning, as for the upholstery I’m sure that would also soon show signs of ‘grubbiness’ over not too much time. Personally something a little darker would be better, if you don’t want Black or maybe even Red, Alfa Romeo also offers Tan Leather with silverwood dash which would be my choice.

Aside from the interior colour of our Giulia, everything else was impressive. The seats where supportive and comfortable, instruments clearly laid out, overall fit and finish is very good with nice soft touch feel to the materials. The nice design found on the exterior of the car has continued on the inside with subtle design touches here and there, the Start button on the steering real is a particular cool point in case. Alfa’s Infotainment system works well also, it is very easy to use with the rotary button dial in the centre console, making it a personal preferred choice over some of the touchscreen systems found in other cars. The cabin is a smart comfortable place to spend your time, and on the chilly mornings I was grateful for the heated seats and steering wheel in particular!

The Drive

The 2.0 petrol engine might be the entry level Giulia but it is none the worse for it, as the Giulia uses a longitudinal rear-wheel drive platform it is an Alfa that really does handle like an Alfa Romeo should, the 2.0 litre petrol engine has a nice little ‘burble’ about it and as you press down on the throttle it accelerates quickly enough without any lag, steering responses are sharp and decisive with good grip and almost perfect body control enabling you to drive the Giulia with confidence. With the eight-speed ZF auto box you do tend to find yourself cruising round in auto pretty much all the time, even though our test car was fitted with the optional aluminium paddle shift, that auto box is very smooth that the thought of any kind of manual shifting just seemed like hard work. The Giulia has an updated version of Alfa’s familiar DNA drive-select system allows you to alter the car’s set-up offering dynamic, natural or advanced efficiency settings.

This Alfa is very much a sports saloon so although on most roads it rides smoothly enough on others it can feel a little too firm. However the underlying feeling is fun, the chassis is tight, steering is spot on meaning you can drive the Giulia much like a sports car, the steering gives good feedback back meaning the whole car is pretty involving.

Verdict

First assumption is you don’t want a diesel, this 2.0 petrol version will give you reasonable low running costs coupled with a stylish car. The Giulia deserves to do well, better looking than it’s competitors, well built and fun to drive it is the 4 door saloon to have, even BMW’s 2019 3 series looks dull next to the Giulia.

It is great to see Alfa Romeo doing what it does best, produce cars you really want to drive, the 2.0 litre petrol is a good car, in fact it’s better than that, it’s a brilliantly packaged sports saloon that will put a smile on your face time after time…